Animated Films Research Articles

“So, We Decided to Make a Film”

Researchers in information science and related fields have traditionally focused on published research and syntheses of research findings. While these mechanisms are crucial for knowledge dissemination, we advocate for more innovative knowledge translation and mobilization efforts. To illustrate this, we present a unique case study on the employment-seeking practices of immigrant women in STEM in Canada. This study stands out for its groundbreaking arts-based knowledge deliverables, including an animated film, a novel approach that was instrumental in our knowledge dissemination and translation efforts. We delve into the study, the rationale behind these deliverables, and the significance of this approach for information science professionals.

The Students’ Perceptions on Learning Media to Teach in Descriptive Text

The goal of this research is to replace the lecture method in junior high school with learning media in the form of animation films for descriptive text learning. The researchers doing the study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The information for this study was gathered through surveys, interviews, figuring out how people rated things on a Likert scale, and analyzing the themes that came up. The people who were studied were seventh graders. 50 students filled out the form, and 10 students were chosen at random to be interviewed. Using a Likert scale with a percentage of more than 90% in each group, the results of this study were calculated. Coding analysis showed that using cartoon films as a learning tool for students is interesting, memorable, easy to understand, effective, and efficient. Researchers found a common theme, which was interest in science, interest in learning, and wonder. There is also a connection between these ideas. The results of this study should make it easier for students to write what they want to say and help them find new ways to make learning more fun.

Concept art for 2D animation film adaptation of short story Colorful Mind

The concept of short story titled 'Colorful Mind' is written in the third person. Its plot was inspired by the fact that education still prioritizes logic over all else and hence dismisses creative thinking. This stigma drives children to choose logic-based academic disciplines over creative subjects, even if this is not their true calling. Using this issue as the story's moral, the production of the film 'Colorful Mind' intends to encourage children of this generation to pursue their love and calling for art without getting swayed by society's old-fashioned stigma. The concept art for 'Colorful Mind' hopes to communicate successfully to its viewers through its visual features by employing solid research and theories, so that the message of the story may be easily grasped to its target of 7-8-year-old children.

Communicative potential of stop-motion animation in the practice of modern design

The relevance of the research is determined by the need to substantiate and implement effective visualnarrative media formats for creating effective visual communications capable of clearly conveying messages and ideas to the viewer. The purpose of the work is to reveal and evaluate the communicative potential of stop-motion animation in the context of audiovisual practices of modern design. Research methodology is formed by general scientific and special methods, in particular, comparative and historical analysis, scientific analysis and synthesis, methods of visual observation, modeling, art history and content analysis. The research substantiates the technical techniques, formal and artistic approaches of stop-motion and reveals their influence on the communicative potential of animation in the context of various project tasks. The effectiveness of the tools of stop-motion animation in modern audiovisual design practices for increasing the emotional involvement of the audience and improving the perception of content due to attractiveness and experimentation has been proven. The ability of stop-motion animation for detail, visual saturation, expressiveness and emotional expressiveness can play a key role in solving design problems where a deep narrative impact needs to be achieved. The paper substantiates the expediency of using the main technical techniques of stop-motion animation in the implementation of specific conceptual project tasks, in particular in short animated films of various genres, in advertising videos, in art projects, where the goal can be achieved due to the high artistic characteristics of the visual series, interactivity and emotional interaction with the viewer. The practical value of the work is determined by the possibility of implementing the research results into practical recommendations for the implementation of specific projects. The results of the research can be useful in the academic community for the further development of the theoretical foundations of stop-motion animation and the expansion of project approaches in educational courses related to audiovisual art and visual communication

Facing cancer: metaphors in medical animation films

Conceptual Metaphor Theory claims that metaphors are a key instrument for making abstract and complex phenomena comprehensible. Cancer, one of the deadliest diseases in the world, is one such complex phenomenon. Hitherto, metaphors pertaining to the nature and treatment of cancer, and to coping with it, have been analysed almost exclusively in verbal communication. Cancer metaphors, however, are also often audio-visualized in animations. In this article, the authors analyse the metaphors in 30 short medical animation films. Their purpose is twofold: (1) to assess whether these animations feature the same metaphors as those prevailing in the verbal texts analysed in earlier research; and (2) to show how animation provides medium-specific ways to present metaphors related to ‘dealing with cancer’. They end the article with reflections on challenges with respect to the identification and categorization of metaphors in animated films to help future researchers, and with some cautious recommendations for possible practical uses of understanding cancer metaphors in animations.

Analysis of film audio design in the post-modern context of “Light Chaser”

The postmodernism cultural trend of thought has a profound impact on the global animation industry. In this context, Chinese cartoons and animated films have been constantly changing to adapt to the market aesthetic needs. This research focuses on the audio design in Light Chaser films, especially the use of music audio effects and dialogues. By analyzing early and later works of Light Chaser, this paper probes into the changes of audio design concepts and techniques. Results show that musical sound effects play a critical role in creating atmosphere and promoting plot development, while dialogues can effectively shape characters and convey emotions. By comparing the previous and later works, this paper reveals the innovation and adjustment of Light Chaser in adapting to the postmodern aesthetic trend, and provides theoretical and practical reference for the audio design of animated films.

Animating migration journeys from Colombia to Chile: expressing embodied experience through co-produced film

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the process of co-producing an animated film about the migration journeys of Colombian women resident in Antofagasta, Chile. It first establishes the relationship between feminist epistemologies and arts-based methodologies, which hinges on embodiment. It then turns to a detailed discussion of using film co-production as a research method for accessing and expressing embodied experiences of migration. This discussion highlights how moments of discomfort (Gokariksel, Hawkins, Neubert, and Smith, 2021) experienced by the researcher motivated the search for a more collaborative methodological approach that was better attuned to lived experience. This included striving towards more inclusive practices with respect to recruitment, anonymity, and confidentiality. Moments of discomfort also revealed how care and caring responsibilities are entangled with research, and how they gender possibilities of participation and production for community co-producers and artists, as well as for researchers. Finally, through discomfort, lessons were learned about the politics of representing experiences of migration, violence, and endurance, as well as joy. The paper concludes that, whilst by no means a panacea, collaborative arts-based research methods can offer an innovative toolset for exploring embodied experience and for navigating the relational and representational complexities attendant to research.

Мультимодальная репрезентация Дня мертвых в мексиканском мультипликационном дискурсе

The article aims to identify the multimodal means of representing the Day of the Dead in Mexican children’s animated films in Spanish. The research focuses on the verbal and non-verbal means of representing this major Mexican holiday in the animated films Coco and El libro de la vida, which are identified using multimodal analysis. The multimodal representation of the celebration of the Day of the Dead is a discursive whole, conveying culturally significant information through verbal, visual and auditory modes. The holiday is depicted in bright colours, whose symbolism is rooted in the culture of the ancient Mayan and Aztec tribes. Death is shown as a natural transition to the next stage of existence, i.e. the bright world of the eternal holiday. The key idea in the multimodal representation of the celebration of the Day of the Dead is that of preserving memory, which at the verbal level is actualized through lexical units with the meanings of memory and closeness and through the lexical-thematic group family and loved ones; at the non-verbal (visual) level the idea is manifested by images of family reunions at cemeteries on the Day of the Dead, while at the auditory level, through the song “Recuérdame”, whose style and manner of performance in Coco change depending on the singer and the meanings being conveyed. Representatives of Mexican linguoculture believe that a person continues to live as long as he/she is remembered. The life in the Land of the Remembered is portrayed by means of positive evaluative adjectives with the meaning of holiday/ fun, while the poor souls in the Land of the Forgotten will face a sad and lonely fate and final death. Multimodal representation of the Day of the Dead involves using certain lexical-semantic units and visual components of the animated text to demonstrate the key culture-specific realia (ofrenda, alebrije, cempasúchil, calavera).

Agent Ali: Exploring Emotional Elements in Story Development with Artificial Intelligence

Emotional research in film and animation has long been implemented in the West. This is because Elements of emotion are essential in an animated film to generate an affective impression and emotions in the audience. Malaysia's animation industry has increased recently, and Malaysian animators have produced many animation products. However, previous studies stated that the current situation of local animated films needed a more potent storytelling technique. There is a West scholar who argues that good storytelling can evoke the emotions of the audience. Applying emotions in animation through computer technology is complicated compared to live-action films that can control emotions through the actors' acting techniques. Thus, this study identified the elements of emotion in developing the case study of storytelling Agent Ali in the movie. The mixed method was used to identify aspects of emotion in Agent Ali the Movie, such as Freytag's Pyramid model and Hume AI. As a result, this study found that aspects of emotion exist in the story development process in Agent Ali the Movie, such as happiness, sadness, and anger in every three acts of structure (exposition, conflict, and resolution). The existence of emotion has proved that animated films in Malaysia need to be focused to overcome the weak storytelling technique. At the end of the discussion, this study also found that Artificial intelligence (AI) technology like Hume AI could speed up the animation production process, especially in identifying the facial expressions and body language of characters in the process of storytelling development.

Visual Design of Chinese Animated Films Infused with Oriental Punk Aesthetics

In recent years, China's movie industry has been advancing, and movies based on ancient myths, which can combine cultural expression with technical expression, have become a hot topic for creation. Especially the ancient mythological novels such as "The Legend of Deification" and "Journey to the West" have become the source of creative ideas for movie adaptations, and Light Chaser Animation, as one of the most important forces in Chinese film production, has been exploring new possibilities for animation movies, inheriting and innovating traditional Chinese cultural elements. Light Chaser Animation, as one of the most important forces in Chinese film production, has been exploring new possibilities for animation films, inheriting and innovating traditional Chinese cultural elements, and has produced the famous "New Gods" series of films, which combines oriental elements and cultural characteristics, blends modernity and tradition, and forms an Oriental Punk style with Chinese characteristics. Oriental Punk not only shows the construction of modernity of Chinese traditional culture, but also the embodiment of cultural self-confidence, and at the same time presents the unique style and aesthetic value of Chinese culture to the world. This article analyzes the visual symbols, color design and action vocabulary of the film New Gods: Yang Jian, and points out a new direction for Chinese films to integrate traditional cultural elements and modern art technology in the creation of new mythological themes.

Mengubah Gambar Sketsa Menjadi Visual yang Menakjubkan : Membangun Dunia Animasi dengan Kecerdasan Buatan

The rapid development of technology in the current era has brought changes to the industry of animation. The utilization of artificial intelligence technology in the field of animation helps accelerate the creative process of creating animated films, one of which is the search for visual concepts to be used. The search for visual concepts can now be made using only sketch images through the assistance of artificial intelligence. The research method employed is exploration, and this study will explore the utilization of Control Trait on the artificial intelligence platform used, namely Playground AI. The sketch images used consist of 10 images, comprising 5 character sketch images and 5 environmental sketch images. The results of the research reveal that the recommended Control Trait values for sketch images fall within the range of 0.4 – 0.6. The conclusion of this study is that black and white sketch images can be quickly transformed into stunning visuals with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The generated images are sufficiently good to be used as visual concepts for an animated film.

Studying science in pop culture through textual analysis. An introduction to examining science in visual texts — Street art, comics and (animated) film

Textual analysis is a commonly-used qualitative method for analysing and interpreting cultural texts. This approach elicits how representations occur, their underlying assumptions and how they come to have meaning. Despite the popularity and utility of textual analysis, its interpretive and theoretical strategies are not comprehensively described in science communication research. To fill this gap and clarify how textual analysis can be used to unpack the cultural meanings and representation of science in visual texts — images, comics and films — the authors analyse and discuss four environmentally-themed scholarly articles that apply textual analysis. This showcases the value of textual analysis in investigating and understanding the relationships between pop culture and science, demystifying it for science communication students and researchers.

The Evolving Constructions of Femininity in Animated Films: Their Effects on Female Gender Beliefs- with a focus on the characters of Mulan and Cinderella

The research investigates how femininity is represented in animated films by comparing the characters of Mulan and Cinderella. While Mulan portrays a strong and independent female lead, Cinderella adheres to traditional gender norms. The study aims to analyze how animated films can reinforce or challenge gender stereotypes and emphasizes the importance of diverse and inclusive media portrayals.

The effect of animated movies on speaking skills among motivated English foreign language learners: Elementary level

AbstractTechnology has become an integral part of our daily lives, permeating every aspect. One area where technology has shown potential to enhance English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning is through the use of animated movies. Despite the growing significance of technology in education, research is scarce in this specific area. Therefore, the aim of this study, conducted in 2023, was to investigate the impact of animated movies on the development of speaking abilities among motivated EFL learners. A total of 370 elementary students studying EFL in various institutions participated by responding to questionnaires. A multiple‐stage cluster sampling approach was employed to select the participants. The students were divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). The selection of 15 animated films from a pool of 50 was performed using the Lawsh CVR (content validity ratio) and CVI (content validity index) algorithms, following validation by professionals. The study was designed as an experiment, and descriptive statistics and the ANCOVA test were employed to analyse the quantitative data. The findings revealed a significant difference between the pre‐test and post‐test results of the EG in English‐speaking skills, vocabulary learning, English pronunciation skills, understanding and recognition. According to the study, animated movies have the potential to aid teachers and EFL students in enhancing their speaking skills. This research sheds light on the benefits of incorporating animated movies into language learning environments, offering valuable insights for both educators and learners alike.

Tearing through the screen: diegetic credits, dialogic media, and fictional reality in Kon Satoshi’s Paprika

This article offers an examination of Japanese anime director Kon Satoshi’s artistic style, with a particular focus on his presentation of the title credits, by tracing his career as an internationally acclaimed auteur. It argues that Kon’s last film Paprika (2006) can be read as a bold experiment that collapses the distinction between physical existence and media representation, which is manifested at two levels: visually, by the translucent projections of the credits and narratively, by the recurring trope of the butterfly dream. It demonstrates that Kon develops a unique aesthetic over his career that blurs the boundary not only between reality and fiction within the diegetic space, but more significantly between the diegesis (i.e., the fictional universe depicted in the animated films) and the tangible, everyday reality that we dwell in. From the perspective of media ecology, this article proposes to consider the diegetic space, which tends to be treated as a commodity that we unproblematically consume, as something that is thoroughly imbricated in and dialogized with our concrete existence in the physical reality.

New Paradigm of Education: A Review on Analyzing the Effectiveness of Vocabulary Learning Through Animation Movies in English Language Classrooms

Vocabulary is often overlooked by educators, yet it is one of the most important aspects of language learning. It is essential for all four language abilities, as it is linked to writing, reading, speaking, and listening. Without comprehensive vocabulary knowledge, students may not be successful in acquiring English as a language. One potential way for English language students to improve their vocabulary is to use multimedia sources like animated movies. Animated movies can provide significant benefits to students by using visual aids that enhance comprehension and facilitate improved learning outcomes. This paper aims to understand the effectiveness of vocabulary learning and teaching through animated movies. This article investigates the efficacy and role of animated films in the acquisition of vocabulary. The articles reviewed for this paper focus on the development, analysis, and examination of animated movies for enhancing vocabulary acquisition. In addition, the paper examines the research design, method, and theory that support the use of animated films in research. The review paper implies that animation films enhance vocabulary more effectively than traditional classroom settings.

Peppa Pig: Experience Evolution and User Migration in Multi-industry Creative Consumption

The core IP image of the British animated film Peppa Pig, "Peppa", has seen an all-media explosion and multi-industry IP consumption since 2018, while transforming from a "child Peppa" to a "social person" symbol, becoming a youth subculture phenomenon worthy of attention. By combing through the rewriting or hype of Peppa as a cultural symbol in various media communication, we analyze the experience flow of cultural symbols behind Peppa culture in the communication process, as well as the phenomenon of user migration in multiple industries, and reflect on the creative consumption under the development trend of "new culture and creativity". Using Peppa Pig as a typical case of digital creativity, we propose the logic of user experience construction under two perspectives: product business line and user emotional engagement line. The cultural interpretation of Peppa by different user groups in different industries also inevitably leads to the alienation of Peppa, and Peppa with many different roles is typical. This also demonstrates the trend and crisis of creative IP in the development process: the synergistic evolution of digital creativity in multiple industries and the over-emphasis on experience consumption after the combination of the experience economy and the characteristics of the digital age may lead to creative misconception.

READING TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE THROUGH HAYAO MIYAZAKI CINEMA

Houses, which are the best-known examples of traditional architecture, are cultural heritage products and objects of representation. Traditional Japanese houses have continued their existence as living examples of space organization, materials and building-construction system/technique, preserving their originality and qualities. This study aims to interpret this architecture through the traditional Japanese architecture in Hayao Miyazaki's animated films. The main problem of the study is to obtain information about the cultures of societies through television and cinema products, to keep traditional architecture alive and to ensure its sustainability. By examining Miyazaki's animated films, the sample of the study was limited to 12 feature films or short films. In these films, those determined to be about traditional Japanese architecture are grouped as building elements, spaces, interior elements and accessories. In some of the films examined within the scope of the study, there are elements of traditional Japanese architecture in a single building, some in two or three buildings, and in some of the silhouettes of the settlement. It has been seen that the wall (kaaba) and roof (koyagumi) of the elements that make up the structure are more used than the ceiling (tenjo), and it is common in the board to use a floor (yuka) material. Life (doma), living room (ima), room (heya) and veranda (engawa) in traditional Japanese houses are more prominent than the kitchen (floor) and bathroom (furo) in the houses in the movies. Sliding wall (fusuma), sliding paper door/window (shoji) and shoe removal board/stone (kutsungi) from interior elements in homes and public spaces; tables (chabudai), cushions (zabuton) and wicker ground cover (tatami) are the most used items.

The Fourfold: Reclaiming Animism

This text reflects on a short, animated film by the author, titled The Fourfold, and its exploration of the Indigenous worldviews and wisdom of Mongolia and Siberia.

Neural patterns associated with mixed valence feelings differ in consistency and predictability throughout the brain.

Mixed feelings, the simultaneous presence of feelings with positive and negative valence, remain an understudied topic. They pose a specific set of challenges due to individual variation, and their investigation requires analtyic approaches focusing on individually self-reported states. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan 27 subjects watching an animated short film chosen to induce bittersweet mixed feelings. The same subjects labeled when they had experienced positive, negative, and mixed feelings. Using hidden-Markov models, we found that various brain regions could predict the onsets of new feeling states as determined by self-report. The ability of the models to identify these transitions suggests that these states may exhibit unique and consistent neural signatures. We next used the subjects' self-reports to evaluate the spatiotemporal consistency of neural patterns for positive, negative, and mixed states. The insula had unique and consistent neural signatures for univalent states, but not for mixed valence states. The anterior cingulate and ventral medial prefrontal cortex had consistent neural signatures for both univalent and mixed states. This study is the first to demonstrate that subjectively reported changes in feelings induced by naturalistic stimuli can be predicted from fMRI and the first to show direct evidence for a neurally consistent representation of mixed feelings.